Cat With Gingivitis/stomatitis?

[HONEY BEAR]

IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU ALL LOVE YOUR CATS AND ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO RELIEVE THEIR SUFFERING. WE HAVE A STRAY CAT THAT WE HAVE BEEN FEEDING FOR MONTHS NOW. HE WAS A LARGE FLUFFY TABBY THE FIRST TIME WE SAW HIM. WELL, HE DISAPPEARED FOR A FEW MONTHS. HE CAME BACK AROUND AND WE WERE SHOCKED TO SEE HOW THIN AND STRAGGLY HE HAD BECOME! I AM A RETIRED NURSE, SO AFTER RESEARCHING INFO. ON HIS SYMPTOMS, I KNEW HE HAD STOMATITIS. NOW HE WILL NOT EAT AND DRINKS ONLY A GULP OR TWO OF MILK. HE WILL NOT DRINK WATER. HE DOES NOT LOOK GOOD. ANY SUGGESTIONS WILL BE APPRECIATED!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Can you trap him and / or contact a true no-kill organization? ...meaning they won't put him down because he's ill, they'll treat him, or find out if a TNR group can help you?

 

[maggie101]

I remember my vet was worried my cat might have had stomatitis because of slight inflammation in her mouth but he saw no ulcers. She had a weak immune system. There is not a cure for it unfortunately. I hope thats not what he has. It is very painful

 

[msaimee]

Even though you are a nurse, the kitty should really be examined by a vet. Other illnesses can cause mouth ulcers and weight loss, such as feline AIDS. If he is a tomcat, he will roam and fight, and that is how FIV is normally contracted, by two males fighting over a mate and deep bite wounds. A SNAP test would test both for FIV and Feline Leukemia. He could also have injured his mouth eating something and have an infected tooth which could clear up with antibiotics or extraction. If he hasn't been eating due to mouth pain, that could cause weight loss. I know from my experience with cats that tooth infections are extremely painful for them, especially when they are at the point of not eating. Please do try to get him to a vet. If he is a stray and not a feral cat, can you get him into a pet carrier? In the unfortunate event that he is in end stages of AIDS, euthanization could be the most merciful option, saving him weeks of suffering. Thank you so much for wanting to help him.

 

[msaimee]

I just wanted to add that reading up on stomatitis, I really hope you can get the cat to a vet. If that is what he turns out to have, it's extremely painful to the cat and if he can't eat, he'll die a slow death from starvation. If there is a Humane Society in your area, please contact them if you are unable to trap the cat or pick him up to get him to a vet. They have staff who will go and try to catch the cat to either treat him or to humanely euthanize him if the disease is too severe to treat. I had a very beloved feral cat I cared for who contracted FIV and developed severe dental pain, he couldn't eat and layed on my porch drooling in obvious pain until my neighbor and I were able to catch him and take him to the vet where he was humanely euthanized. I tear up just thinking about any cat in that much pain.